Folding shower door



Aug. 4, 1959 s. M. COLLINS FOLDING SHOWER DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR,

Filed Jung 21, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed -.June 21, 1957 5. W4 W1 2 V m N 0 M O A 0 0 Filed me 21, 1957 S. M. COLLINS FOLDING SHOWER DOOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. I

0*04 0M 01V 41. (Oil/M5 FOLDING SHOWER DOOR Solomon M. Collins, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Kinkead Industries Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 21, 1957, Serial No. 667,237

Claims. (Cl. 4-154) This invention relates to a shower closure for bath tubs and shower stalls and is directed to asliding closure which is track suspended.

It is an object of the invention to provide a foldable closure device to prevent water from spraying from.- the shower space. The invention comprises a track-retained device in which horizontally spaced tracks mounted adjacent the bath tub or shower stall hold and guide a closure member having vertical slide stanchions, each connected with flexible, translucent panels.

It is an object to provide an inexpensive, easily assembled device which has an attractive appearance in both the opened and closed position and a device which can be installed and assembled by a consumer to avoid the use of expensive skilled tradesmen in the installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which can be installed in existing homes without expensive conversion work.

Other objects and features of the invention having to do with the construction and operation will be apparent in the following description and claims.

Drawings accompany the disclosure, and the various views thereof may be briefly described as:

Figure 1 a view of a door constructed according to the present invention in closed position.

Figure 2 a view of a door in open position.

Figure 3 a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 a perspective View of a portion of the door from the outer side.

Figure 5 a perspective view of the door from the inner side showing the fastening retainers.

Figure 6 a perspective view of a corner assembly of the door.

Figure 7 a view similar to Figure 4 taken from the inside.

Figure 8 a sectional view on line 88 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 a sectional View on line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 a standard bath tub installation is shown at B with tiled side walls T extending upwardly at each end. The shower closure shown generally at S is supported by a bottom track 30 and a top track 40, details of which are shown in cross section in Figure 3. These tracks have a base portion 42 with a T-wall 44 with side wings 46 and 48. Projecting from the base are flange portions 50 which form side openings with the T portions 46 and 48, these openings extending horizontally to provide guide runs for the shower door.

The rails 30 and 40 are supported in various ways. The rail 30 may be attached to the side rail of the bath tub by a mastic material if desired. The two rails may be located by a vertical angle piece 52 which has one leg attached to the side walls T and the other extending in the direction of the curtain on each side of the opening. The bottom rail 30 is shown located relative to the angle member 52 by a locator plate 54 bolted to the side 56 by a bolt'58.

Patented Aug. 4, 1959 A similar locator plate 54 is used at each end of the top rail 40 to position it relative to the bottom rail in horizontal spaced alignment and vertically opposed to the bottom rail. Thus, by fastening the two angle members 52 to the ends of the bath tub opening, it is easy to provide a four-piece frame for the shower curtain.

As shown in Figure 6, the member 54 has engaging projections 6b which register with one groove of the bars 30 and 40 to provide positive location. In addition to this connection, it is also possible to put screws 62 into the edge of the bath tub if desired, although this is not necessary for proper assembly.

The door S, which operates on the frame, is intended to be suspended at both the rail 30 and the rail 40 with a sliding arrangement on both rails. The door is composed of a plurality of elements, there being two end stanchions and a plurality of intermediate stanchion units 70, each of which has a clip 72 at the top and bottom and the clip having a button formation 74 which has a re-entrant engagement with the inner horizontal grooves of the rails 30 and 40.

The clip 72 has a hook-over portion 76 which overlies a portion of the front surface of the stanchion 70 and a button portion 78 which snaps through an opening 80 in the stanchion to cause engagement. The stanchion is preferably an extruded strip of metal, such as aluminum, having reinforcing ridges 82 to provide strength; and at the sides of the stanchion 70 are wing portions 84, each of which terminates in a re-entrant groove portion 86 extending at an angle tothe stanchion as shown. best in Figures 7 to 9. The stanchion units are, therefore, individually slidable by reason of the slide elements 72 which support the stanchion at each end in the rails 30 and 40.

End stanchions 90, such as shown in Figures 4 to 6, are formed slightly wider than the intermediate stanchions With only a single wing 86 and a fiat extension portion 92 which co-operates with the leg 5'6 of the angle bar at the end of the installation. If desired, one of the end stanchions may be fastened to the angle bar or both ends may be left open to have a sliding engagement with the angle bar.

All of the stanchions are connected together by similar sheets 94 of material which can be formed either by molding or extruding or sewing or welding. The end stanchions are provided with double glide portions 93 which are assembled in the same manner as the glide. portions 72 (see Figure 5). These glide portions co-opcrate with holes 95 on the end stanchions.

As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the connecting sheets comprise a normally flat central portion 94, at each side edge of which is a flair in each direction to provide a T edge portion 96. This edge portion has a sliding engagement with the open grooves 86 formed on the stanchions so that when assembled as shown in the drawings the parts are locked together. With this arrangement, the sheets 94 are biased in a bowed position as shown in Figure 8 even when the door is extended. When the door is collapsed by shifting the stanchions toward each other horizontally, the sheet portions 94 are also collapsed to a curved or looped fold formation as shown in Figure '9 behind the supporting frame.

The sheet material 94 preferably has suflicient resilience that it will maintain its shape as shown in the drawings so that the parts are always spaced to permit good ventilation and drying. A handle is provided on the leading stanchion 90 as shown in Figures 1 and 9 to permit ready manipulation of the door to a collapsed position as shown in Figure 2 to an extended position as Figure 3, project vertically to overlie the track portions 30 and 40, thus assuring a water-tight seal -when the device is used as a shower curtain and permitting good drainage down into the tub, deflecting the water away from the track portions.

The sheet material 94 can be formed of translucent plastic which is readily molded or extruded and easily as sembled into the stanchions.

It will thus be seen that in assembly the device provides an easily extensible and collapsible door for use as a showerclosure. The construction has the advantage of being made of a plurality of similar parts which are readily assembled and the use of a frame which is easily installed. Thus, the device can be used as a readily installed unit, which reduces its cost.

The glides 72 have a cap portion 98 which is at the top of the stanchions in Figure 3 overlying the open ends of the grooves 86 and at the bottom of the stanchion for the same purpose. This finishes off the ends of the stanchion (see Figure 5) and locks the parts together, thus facilitating assembly and operation.

If desired, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3, the outer groove of the top member 40 may be used to suspend a curtain or drape 104 through the use of plastic glides 106 and drapery hooks 108. Thus, if the home- -4 owner desires, the entire enclosure may be covered with a drapery material which matches the remaining decor of the bath room or home.

I claim:

1. A foldable sliding closure combination for an ac cess opening of a shower bath enclosure, comprising upper and lower track rails for placement horizontally along the opening, each rail having a track side adjacent to the enclosure and having an end-to-end track groove extending along an intermediate portion of its track side, a horizontally foldable upright composite water-repellant closure sheet, and means for supporting the closure sheet slidingly from said rails with its marginal portions adja cent to the track side thereof to close and open the said opening when unfolded and folded, the closure sheet having an unfolded length sufficient to bridge the said opening horizontally and being of such width that it extends vertically across both track-rail grooves but terminates short of the outer limits of the said track sides, the closure sheet comprising a series of horizontally successive interconnected upright sheet elements each extending entirely across the sheet and being of a length determinative of the said width of the sheet, the said sheet elements comprising a series of stanchions and alternately interspersed pliant interstanchion panels which are individually foldable and unfoldable horizontally, each panel having an enlarged joining portion along each vertical margin thereof, the stanchions including means defining marginal vertical channels which slidingly receive the enlarged joining portions of the panels and hold the panels and stanchions together horizontally while permitting relative vertical sliding movement, each stanchion having a separate bracket member for each end portion thereof overlapping the stanchion on the face thereof adjacent to the said track side of the associated rail and opposite the said track groove thereof, means for securing each bracket member to its stanchion, each bracket member having a cap portion which closely overlaps the associated end of the stanchion and closes the associated end of such of the said vertical channels as are defined in the stanchion, thereby preventing vertical sliding movement between the stanchion and any adjacent one of said interstanchion panels, each said bracket having a slide member fixed therewith and entering the associated track groove, the said slide members comprising the said means for supporting the closure sheet.

2. A foldable sliding closure combination according tov claim 1, wherein the said means for securing any said bracket member to its said stanchion includes the said cap portion thereof and a return portion extending down wardly from the cap portion and acting with the principal portion of the bracket member to grip the end portion of the stanchion, and further includes a lock member fixed with the bracket member and entering an opening through the stanchion.

3. A foldable sliding closure combination for an access opening of a shower bath enclosure, comprising a four-piece frame for outlining the said opening and a horizontally foldable upright water-repellant closure sheet, the said frame comprising left and right upright members and upper and lower horizontal track rails, each rail having opposed sides one of which is adjacent to the enclosure, each rail containing at least one end-to-end track groove therein extending along an intermediate portion of one of the said sides thereof, means for supporting the closure sheet slidingly from said rails to close and open the said opening by unfolding and folding, the closure sheet having an unfolded length sufiicient to bridge a desired portion of the said opening horizontally and being of such width that it extends vertically across the opening, the closure sheet comprising a series of vertical stanchions and alternately interspersed interstanchion panels secured thereto which are individually foldable and unfoldable horizontally, each stanchion having a separate slide member fixed with each end portion thereof and entering a said track groove in the associated track rail, the said slide members comprising the said means for supporting the closure sheet, and means for securing the said upright members and track rails together at the corners of the said frame, the said securing means at any said corner comprising a locating member disposed within a said track groove, and means clamping the locating member to the associated upright member.

4. A foldable sliding closure combination for an access opening of a shower bath enclosure, comprising upper and lower track rails for placement horizontally along the opening, each rail having a track side adjacent to the enclosure and having an end-to-end track groove extending along an intermediate portion of its track side, a horizontally foldable upright composite water-repellant closure sheet, means for supporting the closure sheet slidingly from said rails with its marginal portions adjacent to the track side thereof to close and open the said opening by unfolding and folding, the closure sheet having an unfolded length sufficient to bridge a desired portion of the said opening horizontally and being of such width that it extends vertically across both track-rail grooves but terminates short of the outer limits of the said track sides, the closure sheet comprising a series of horizontally successive interconnected upright sheet elements each extending entirely across the sheet, the said sheet elements comprising a series of stanchions and alternately interspersed pliant interstanchion panels which are individually foldable and unfoldable horizontally, each end portion of each stanchion having a slide member fixed therewith and entering the associated track groove, the said slide members comprising the said supporting means, each panel having an enlarged joining portion along each vertical margin thereof, the stanchions including means defining marginal vertical channels which slidingly receive the enlarged joining portions of the panels and hold the panels and stanchions together horizontally while permitting relative vertical sliding movement, channel-cap members and means for securing them to respective end portions of the stanchions to block the end of the said vertical channels, thereby limiting vertical sliding movement between the stanchions and the interstanchion panels.

5. A foldable sliding closure combination for an access opening of a shower bath enclosure, comprising upper and lower track rails for placement horizontally along the opening, each rail having a track side adjacent to the enclosure and having an end-to-end track groove extending along an intermediate portion of its track side,

a horizontally foldable upright water-repellant closure sheet, means for supporting the closure sheet slidingly from said rails with its marginal portions adjacent to the track side thereof to close and open the said opening by unfolding and folding, the closure sheet having an unfolded length suflicient to bridge a desired portion of the said opening horizontally and being of such width that it extends vertically across both track-rail grooves but terminates short of the outer limits of the said track sides, the closure sheet comprising a series of horizontally successive upright stanchions and interspersed interstanchion panels connected thereto which are individually foldable and unfoldable horizontally, each end portion of each stanchion having a slide member fixed therewith and entering the associated track groove, the said slide members comprising the said supporting means, each said track groove being generally C-shaped in cross-section to provide a slide-retaining channel having a restricted slide opening thereinto, each said slide member being 6 generally T-shaped in cross-section to provide a neck portion which extends through the said restricted sideopening and a head portion which flares in each direction within the said channel to provide two separate members for resisting withdrawal of the slide member from the channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,550,713 Springer Aug. 25, 1925 1,990,871 Klocke Feb. 12, 1935 2,197,385 Ricken Apr. 16, 1940 2,351,656 Auten June 20, 1944 2,388,297 Slaughter Nov. 6, 1945 2,699,827 Carson Jan. 18, 1955 2,748,908 Jacobson et al June 5, 1956 2,770,298 Hiatt Nov. 13, 1956 

